Learning to Trust
by BlueSky509
Summary: My view on how Victoria became a Jellicle,and how she met up with Mistofelees.Rated T to be safe.
1. What's That Sound?

Learning To Trust

Disclaimer: I don't own Cats!

**Author's Note: This is my first story,so please be nice!Any constructive criticism,praise,or comments would be greatly appreciated!This is going to be a multi-chap,so stay tuned for more chapters!So,umm...Read and Review,and enjoy!I have received a lot of comments about the spacing/formatting,and I am proud to say I fixed it!No more weird spacing! I was using the wrong program, silly me!  
**

**Misto's POV**

It's _pouring_. My tuxedo coat is soaked to the skin, and I am cold and miserable. I just want to get back to the Junkyard, curl up in my den and go to sleep. It wasn't raining at all when I set out on my mouse hunt a few hours ago in the streets of London.

Why am I hunting in the streets and not in the field behind the Jellicle Junkyard? It's because of Coricopat and Tantomile, the psychic twins. They always know where all the mice are, and ruin the challenge for everyone! I know they're just trying to help us get food, but we want a little fun, too!

So that's why I decided to take to the streets for my hunt. I wasn't the only one who got tired of Cori and Tanto ruining the thrill of the hunt. Alonzo and Pouncival went to the streets too, and we'd promised Munkustrap we would be back before the rain hit, and then went our separate ways.

They're probably back by now...and me? I just had to go chasing after this one delicious-looking rat, and before I knew it, I went farther than I realized, and got lost._"At least I didn't end up in Macavity's territory...but where am I?"_I thought.

I scanned my surroundings, looking for any sort of landmark."_Old, run-down houses over there_..._Oh! It's the old library!"_I thought, relieved. I figure I'm a few blocks from the Junkyard. Good. Not lost anymore.

Suddenly, I heard a faint whimper._"What was that?"_I wondered as I stopped walking. I listened, but all I could hear was the rain drumming against rooftops and in the puddles. No whimpering._"Great. My mind is playing tricks on me. Who in Heaviside would be out in weather like this?"_I thought, shaking my head. I brushed it off and continued walking. I heard the whimpering again. It was louder this time. I realized it was coming from an alley a little to my right.

I peeked cautiously around the corner, and gasped at the sight that lay before me. There in front of me, curled up next to an old, smelly trash can, was a shivering, white queen around my age. She was covered in blood, her coat was matted and dirty, and she looked like she had been beaten. The only way I could tell she was white was because wherever there wasn't blood or dirt, there was grayish-white fur, and her nose was pink. She looked unconscious, and I heard her whimper again. I could feel my heart sink as I was overwhelmed with pity for the poor queen. I knew I had to help her, so I started walking slowly towards her.

**Victoria's POV**

In my half-conscious world, I saw a vague, dark shape walking towards me. It had a tail, so I assumed it was a cat. It spoke, "Hey, are you alright?"The voice sounded male, and it was soft and soothing. It sounded so distant, but I knew that couldn't be true, because I could practically feel the body heat coming off of him. Was he that close?

_"What do you want?"_I wanted to ask. I tried to speak, but I only let out another whimper. The tom, as I now registered, spoke again."You're pretty beaten up. Let me take you back to my home, my friends there will fix you up."Before I knew what was happening, I felt a pair of arms surround me._"What are you doing?"_I panicked._"No! Don't touch me!"_I wanted to scream at him. Instead, I gave him a small shriek, and kicked him with all my might...or, what was left of it, trying to defend myself. As soon as I recoiled though, a sharp pain tore through my body. The pain, the cold, it was all too much for me. I couldn't hold back the darkness that threatened to envelope me any longer._"No, leave me alone..."_I thought feebly as I finally blacked out.

**Misto's POV**

"Bast!"I hissed irritably, "calm down! I'm just trying to help!"I crouched to pick up the white, bleeding queen, but in an attempt to do so, she let out a shriek and kicked me!_"I guess she wasn't as unconscious as I thought she was._**"**I thought with a smirk while rubbing my now aching thigh**. **

I watched as she slowly relaxed, her body sagging against the trash can she was curled up next to. I knew she really was unconscious now, and it was safe to pick her up.

Now that I had a chance, I looked her over more closely. She had a faded blue collar, and gashes down her left leg and arm. The rest of her body was covered in blood, dirt, and numerous bruises. Only one thought came to my mind_:"Could she be one of Macavity's queens? Poor thing..."_

I gingerly attempted to pick her up again, careful not to touch the gashes. Apparently, I wasn't careful enough, because the moment I slid my arm around her back, she tensed and curled up again."Shh...It's alright, I'm just trying to help..."I said in the most soothing tone I could manage.

That seemed to do the trick, because she relaxed again, and I noticed that ever so slightly, the corners of her lips curled up._"Hmm...She likes my voice..."_I thought with a quiet chuckle. I picked her up, shifting her so her head was lolling against my chest, not over my arm, so she would be more comfortable.

I looked down at her, and I noticed her small smile was replaced with a frown. I could tell she was still in a lot of pain. I felt my heart sink again. I don't think I've ever felt so much compassion for another cat before. I surprised myself. Was it because she is a queen?_"Control yourself, Misto! Don't think like that!"_I chastised myself. I quickly pushed the thought out of my head as I started on my way back to the Junkyard, where a worried, and most likely surprised, Munkustrap would surely be waiting for me, along with all my other Jellicle friends.

**Author's Note: Whew! Done! Love it? Hate it? Review and tell me what you think!;)**


	2. Worrying and Waiting

Learning to Trust Chap.2 Worrying and Waiting

Disclaimer: Ok,everyone seems to like doing crazy disclaimers around here, so I'll give it a shot! I don't own Cats. If I did, there would be much more singing from Misto,and more Vicky/Misto dancing. Happy?

**Author's Note: Thank you sooo much to everyone who reviewed! You guys are awesome! I didn't think I'd get so many reviews so fast, let alone so many positive ones! Yes, there were many comments on the formatting, I believe I did apologize for that. I figured out the problem,too. I was using the wrong program to write my story in. That's why the spacing was so messed up.  
**

**Misto's POV**

You know, the whole time I was with the queen that was now safely in my arms, I didn't notice the rain, or that I was cold and miserable... Until I got out of the alley.

I groaned slightly, but I know I can't help the weather, even if I am a magical cat.

I started walking in the direction of the Junkyard, and no sooner than walking about ten steps,

I noticed my "passenger" was shivering. A lot. I sighed, as I couldn't really do anything more than mutter, "Don't worry, we're almost there, "and quicken my pace.

"_She's so light"_ I thought. In fact, I could feel her ribs underneath my hand, which wasn't a good sign. I frowned, wondering what could have possibly put her in this state.

After about another half hour of walking, we finally arrived at the Junkyard. I sighed with relief, thinking the worst of my problems were now over. Little did I know how wrong I was... I hurried straight to Jennyanydots' den, thinking of nothing but getting this queen to safety.

Munkustrap immediately noticed I had returned and came to greet me.

"Where in Heaviside were y-who's this?" he asked, motioning to the queen in my arms.

"Dunno, I found her in an alley." I hastily replied. Munk was about to leave at that, until he noticed I was favoring one leg.

"Misto, why are you limping...?" he asked skeptically. I swear, nothing escapes Munkustrap's attention. Ever.

"She kicked me." I replied with a humorless laugh._"Pretty hard, too."_ I added in my head.

He looked incredulously at the unconscious queen. I gave him an "I know, right?" look as we finally reached Jenny's den.

Jenny heard our approach and gasped as she saw the queen. "Everlasting Cat, what happened to her?" she asked as she started fretting over the queen. "Well I-hey!" I was cut off by Jenny as she took the fragile queen gently from my arms, and went inside.

I tried to follow, but Munk put a hand on my shoulder, stopping me. "She'll be fine in Jenny's care, Misto. Get some sleep and dry off. You've had a tough day today." He said reassuringly. I nodded, and headed to my own den. I couldn't get much sleep, though, as thoughts of the mysterious queen kept popping up in my head. _Who is she? Where did she come from? Why was she in the alley? What happened to her? Will she be alright? _

I unconsciously reached my hand down to my thigh, where she had kicked me. It still hurt. _"Well, if she had enough strength to kick me like that, she has to pull through."_ The thought was barely convincing.

My mind went back to when I saw her in the alley. _Those gashes...even in the minimal light, I could tell they were serious. _I remembered how she was shivering when I was carrying her back to the Junkyard. _She must of been lying in that alley for days, with no shelter of any kind. To think I felt cold and miserable. It must have been ten times worse for her..._ I hoped to the Everlasting Cat she would pull through. I don't think I could live with myself if she didn't. _You like her that much, already, Misto? What's wrong with you? You don't even know her name! _I mentally slapped myself for getting carried away with my thoughts again. Is this going to become a regular thing? After thinking for what seemed like hours, I finally felt my eyelids grow heavy with sleep. My last thought was of her smile when I calmed her down. _"Yes, she'll be alright..."_ I smiled to myself, and gave into the blissful darkness.

**The following day...**

**Victoria's POV**

I slowly opened my eyes. The first thing I noticed was that I wasn't in the alley anymore. The second was that my whole body was throbbing with pain. _"Where am I...?"_ I wondered to myself.

Then the memories came flooding back to me. _The pouring rain...the stinky, disgusting alley... The almost unbearable pain. _Then something else flashed to my mind, something that made me smile. _That soft, soothing voice... That's it! The tom! He must of carried me to his home! _Just then I heard a knock at the wall of the den, startling me out of my reverie.

An older, orange and yellow tabby queen appeared, obviously looking pleasantly surprised. At what, I had no idea. _"The important thing is, she is a threat!"_ My consciousness told me. Instincts took over. I sat up and tried to move away, towards the wall, but the pain that was now racking my body stopped me from doing nothing more than turning towards her. Realizing I couldn't move much, I resorted to trying to scare her off.

I let out a menacing hiss, and watched as her expression changed from one that was happy to one that was understanding. _"What did she want? What was she going to do to me? Why wasn't she scared?" _I thought as fear coursed through me." Take it easy, hun, I'm not going to hurt you." She said calmly, while lowering herself to the floor so that she was level with me. She wasn't going to hurt me? Ya, right. I've heard that more times than I'd care to remember. I've always ended up getting hurt after someone said _that_.

As the older queen continued to sit there, clearly avoiding my stare, it began to dawn on me that maybe she really wasn't going to hurt me after all. I decided to risk it. "Who are you? What do you want?" I asked coldly. She looked at me, but she wasn't showing any signs of aggression. "My name is Jennyanydots. Everyone calls me Jenny, though." The queen said calmly. "As for what I want, I want to help you."

_Help _me? No one ever wanted to _help _me, just _hurt _me. She didn't seem like the type of cat who would hurt anyone, though. "How are you feeling? Are you hungry, or thirsty?" She asked. I opened my mouth to speak, but my growling stomach answered for me. "I'll take that as a yes, then! I'll be back in a minute!" She stood up and walked to the doorway, but stopped and turned toward me. "Oh, yes, what's your name, hun? Jenny asked with a smile."Victoria." I replied. "Nice to meet you, Victoria." Jenny nodded and left, leaving me to stare after her. _"She seems nice..."_ I thought. Maybe all cats weren't bad after all.

I stared up at the ceiling of the den, wondering where I really was. The den was large and cozy. It looked to be made out of discarded blankets, crates, and the odd flattened box. Everything was silent, except for the sound of Jenny preparing food and quietly humming to herself.

All too soon, Jenny was back with a cracked plate with mousecakes on it, and a bowl of water. I don't think I've ever seen such a feast. I downed the water in a few quick gulps, and I ate the food with the ferocity of a wildcat. "Wow, you must have been hungry!" Jenny said, surprised, after I was done. "You have _no _idea." I said with a laugh. "I bet you're wondering where you are, huh?" Jenny said. _"How did she know? Weird..."_ I thought to myself. Jenny didn't wait for a reply.

"You're in the Jellicle Junky-" "The Jelli-wha?" She was interrupted by me."Victoria, don't interrupt! I wasn't finished!" Jenny scolded me. "Sorry, Jenny..." I mumbled. "As I was saying, you're in the _Jell-i-cle_ Junkyard." She enunciated for me."It's where all the Jellicle Cats live. Once we can get you to walk, I'll have Misto give you the tour. How does that sound?" Jenny finished. "Sounds great! Just one question. Who's Misto?" I asked. As if on cue, a knock came from the entrance of the den. "That would be Misto!" Jenny exclaimed.

**Author's Note: Oooh cliffie! How do you think Victoria will react? You have to wait until the next chappie to find out! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Review please!:)**


	3. Not the Best Introductions

Not the Best Introductions

Disclaimer: It's so hard to think of a funny one...Whatever, I've got a story to write. No sense in wasting time on this. I don't own Cats. Deal with it.

**Author's Note: Yay! Chapter 3! A lot of you have been wondering what will happen when Vicky meets Misto, and now you can find out! I want to thank all my reviewers; it's nice to get such great reviews. It's also great to know that you guys are soo persistent with the errors, it drives me bonkers! Anyway, was there anything else you guys noticed other than the previous spacing issues? I just feel like I'm not adding enough detail, but let me know what you think. I'm kind of all over the place with my ideas, too, so let me know if something doesn't make sense. Enough with the long Author's Note, on with the story! Oh yes, forgive me if I get some of the cats' appearances mixed up. I'm not too familiar with them yet. Enjoy!**

Misto's POV

I woke with a start. The first thing I thought of was the queen. Was she alright? I had to go see her. I knew my mind wouldn't rest until I knew that she was awake. My muscles weren't quite up to date with my mind though, so I gave them a quick stretch, and headed off to Jenny's den.

Jenny's den was on the other end of the junkyard, and it was late in the morning. I knew I had slept in, no thanks to my constant worrying last night. Pretty much everyone was up, even the kittens. _"Speaking of kittens..." _ I felt a presence behind a pile of junk to my left, well, more than one, actually. I heard quiet snickering and repeated "shushing" coming from behind the pile. I knew exactly who it was. I walked around the pile, and wouldn't you know, there were two little kittens staring up at me, grinning.

"How'd you find us, Misto? We were hiding really well this time!" Etcetera, a white and yellow tabby queen, said with a hint disappointment. "Ya, we were being sneaky and everything! Even Etcy kept quiet when we were stalking you!" Added Electra, a brown and black tabby queen. "I can sense when someone's nearby, remember? I'm a magical cat. I swear I didn't hear you two, honest._ "Liar..." _ I thought to myself. Etcy and 'Lectra seemed satisfied with that, and ran off to go play. I chuckled to myself. Last week, I had given the two stalking lessons, and they tried to sneak up on me at least once a day, _every _day since then. Their other target was Tugger. No surprise there, they were after all, his fan club. Though they have not successfully tackled me yet, I admire their effort and determination.

My brother, Tugger, on the other hand, managed to get himself tackled by the two queens a lot. _"I bet he's too busy thinking about which queen he'll seduce next, he doesn't even hear them coming!" _ I mused. Then I remembered about the queen in Jenny's den, and decided not to spend any more time dawdling. My previous nervousness came back to me. I hurried to Jenny's den, eager to see how she was doing.

I was about to let myself in, but I heard a voice I didn't recognize coming from inside. It definitely wasn't Jenny's. There could only be one explanation. _"She's awake!" _ I thought happily. My mind flashed back to last night, and I remembered how afraid she was of me. I quickly snapped out of it, and decided it was best to play it safe. I knocked on the entrance wall and waited for a reply. "Come in, Misto!" Came Jenny's voice from the inside "healing room".( Jenny's den was actually two dens put together. The larger portion, the "healing room" was used as an infirmary.)

I went inside and through another opening, leading to the healing room. As I predicted, the queen was awake, but something was wrong. She just stared at me, with fear in her eyes. Jenny was looking at the queen, with a very concerned expression. Then it hit me. She was terrified of me. I mean, _really _terrified.

The queen started shaking, all the time repeating "No,no,no,no..." softly to herself. She began to inch closer to Jenny, who put a protective arm around her shoulders. I wanted to comfort her, to tell her I wasn't dangerous. "It's alright, I'm not-"I was cut off by a very serious-looking Jenny. "Quiet, Misto! Lower yourself down to the floor, and don't look at her!" She almost hissed at me. "She's frightened of other cats, the poor thing..." Jenny added in a softer tone. _"No kidding._" I thought, as I did what was I was told.

After a few minutes, and a lot of soothing from Jenny, the white queen eventually calmed down. "Victoria, this is Mistofelees. He's the tom who brought you here last night." Jenny explained to Victoria. Victoria lifted her head from where it was buried in Jenny's arm, and looked at me. She was beautiful. She had sky-blue eyes and there wasn't a speck of blood on her snow-white fur. "Y-you saved me...?" She said quietly. She no longer had fear in her eyes, which was a relief. I simply nodded, not trusting my voice. "Thank you..." She said again, looking timid. "You're very welcome, Victoria." I replied, with a slight quiver in my voice. "Uhh...Call me Misto." I added, blushing slightly. _"Stop it, Misto! She's just a queen!" _While I continued to argue with myself in my head, an awkward silence fell over the den.

"Well!" Jenny exclaimed, interrupting the awkward silence," why don't we see if you can stand up, dear? I'm sure Misto would like to give you a tour of the junkyard, wouldn't you, Misto?" Jenny looked expectantly at me. "Yes, I'd be happy to!" I said enthusiastically. Victoria nodded, and attempted to stand up, with the help of Jenny. She succeeded, and was now limping, testing her leg. "Wow, look at that! To think that just last night, you were unconscious, and now you're walking around!" Jenny exclaimed proudly. Victoria smiled, impressed with herself. "You can go with Misto, just don't push yourself too hard. If you feel sick, you get Misto to bring you straight back, you hear me, young lady?" Jenny advised sternly. "Yes, Jenny! Thanks so much for all you've done for me!" Victoria replied, happy to be getting out and about. Jenny smiled, and ushered us out.

I laughed, and lead Victoria out of the den, and into fresh air. We stopped outside the entrance, and I let her take it all in. "Wow..." She breathed,"this is where you live? It's so...Peaceful." She looked around in amazement, admiring everything around her. "Yup, this is where I live. Do you want to see my den?" I asked her. She nodded in agreement, and we started off, her keeping a hand on my shoulder for balance.

Along the way, I introduced her to some other cats. Victoria wasn't nearly as scared of them, as I had managed to convince her that all the cats were nice (I didn't tell her about Tugger), and that they were my friends. She understood, and she tried her best to be friendly. She got a little scared when she noticed Cori and Tanto, though."M-Misto...W-Who are they...?" I turned my head in the direction she was looking, noticing them staring at us. "They're just Coricopat and Tantomile, the psychic twins. They're a little intimidating at first, but they're great once you get to know them." I said reassuringly. Victoria nodded, and we continued walking. The trip to my den was going fabulously, and Victoria really seemed to be enjoying herself.

Tugger just _had _to come by and ruin everything. Sometimes, he just goes too far. Remember when I said that I thought Tugger was looking for another queen to seduce? He just found his next queen, and her name is Victoria. "_Great...Tugger's here."_ I rolled my eyes and sighed as he sauntered up to us. "Who's your pretty friend, Misto?" Tugger asked with a cocked eyebrow, motioning his head to Victoria, who was now trembling a bit at the sight of the intimidating tom. "Don't worry; this is just my brother-"I was cut off by Tugger, who finished my sentence for me, "_The_ one and only, Rum Tum Tugger! How's about we, uh, get to know each other better, kitten?" He said in his flirting tone, hooking his thumbs in his belt, and giving Victoria a cocky grin. This only seemed to scare Victoria more, as she was now hiding behind me, shaking like a leaf. "Tugger-"I said warningly, only to be cut off again. Couldn't he see he was scaring her to death? My usually calm and cool manner dissolved as soon as I realized what he meant by "getting to know each other better."

Now I was getting angry. I could feel it boiling up inside, and when I get too emotional, I release quite a bit of magic, which could very well be the equivalent of a bomb going off, literally. I tried to calm myself down by taking deep breaths, but it wasn't working. Tugger just kept attempting to seduce Victoria with his flirting, which only made me want to protect her more from my brother. I couldn't shut him up. The more he talked, the more frightened Victoria got, and the angrier I became. I heard Victoria whimper and felt her head press against the back of my shoulder. "No, leave me alone..._Please."_ I heard her whisper as she started to cry. I heard her sob, and that's all it took. I snapped.

"Tugger, move." I said in a low voice. I could feel the magic welling up inside me. He didn't listen. "Tugger, move. _Now."_ He seemed to catch on, but he didn't know just how close I was to releasing my magic. "Aww, c'mon Misto, I-"Tugger started to complain, but was interrupted by me,"_**Tugger! Get out of the way**!_" I yelled at him. This time, the Maine Coon recognized the urgency of my tone, and hastily jumped to the side; and not a moment too soon. In one quick, explosive flash, I released all of my pent-up magic, right where Tugger was standing not a moment ago. The boom that came with it resonated throughout the Junkyard. I heard a scream, but I paid no attention to it. My mind was completely focused on Tugger.

When the dust cleared, Tugger was huddled up next to a pile of old furniture, scared for his life. The junk pile that was behind Tugger was now a smoking pile of ashes, proof of what my magic could do. Victoria was nowhere to be seen, but I didn't notice. I walked up to Tugger, and grabbed him by the neck, shaking him to make sure he was paying attention. He looked up at me with fear in his eyes, as I leered down at him. "If you value your life, I suggest you leave Victoria alone." I said in a low, threatening tone, through clenched teeth. "Next time I might not warn you." He gulped and nodded his head fervently, realizing what I meant. I released him, and watched as he ran away, not daring to look back.

I suddenly felt exhausted. In my anger, I had forgotten that releasing so much magic came at a price. I dropped to my knees, panting, and promptly blacked out.

**Author's Note: So, I bet you're wondering where Vicky went. Don't worry, you'll find out in the next chappie! Wow, Misto's really protective of her... I wonder what will happen to him? Well, you know what to do now!**


	4. Revealing My Past

Revealing My Past

Disclaimer: Nothing to see here, I know you know I don't own Cats.

**Author's Note: I have received some requests on what was going through Victoria's head while Tugger was flirting*harassing*cough* with her, so I'll be starting a little farther back than I usually do with this one. I am also horrible at dirty comments, so I won't be adding any on Tugger's part. I would probably just insult his character if I did. This is also the chappie where we get to find out the reasons behind Victoria's fear of other cats! (A.K.A her past) I want to thank everyone who did review, you make me smile! I also want to thank those that read, but didn't review. You guys are great, too! Enjoy!**

**Victoria's POV**

We were having such a nice walk. Then this big, black and gold-spotted tom came up to us. He looked me over, and I didn't like the greedy look in his eyes. He turned his attention to Misto and asked, "Who's your pretty friend, Misto?" Misto acknowledged that this tom was beginning to frighten me, and tried to reassure me. "Don't worry; this is just my brother-"The tom cut him off by saying, _"The _one and only, Rum Tum Tugger. How's about we, uh, get to know each other better, kitten?" I caught on immediately to what he was implying, and I know he's just flirting, but he reminds me of a darker place, reminds me of _them_. I want him to stop, and just go away.

Now I was really scared, and Misto knew it. "Tugger-"He tried to warn him, but Tugger just kept on talking, ignoring Misto, keeping his eyes focused on me. I could tell Misto was getting angry, because I heard him taking deep breaths, which is what one usually does to try and calm themselves. Tugger didn't stop talking, and I was feeling more and more upset.

I couldn't take his flirting anymore. I hid my head behind Misto's shoulder, and started to cry. In a last, feeble attempt to let Tugger know I wasn't interested, I whispered, "No, just leave me alone..._Please."_ Then I let out a sob. I couldn't help myself. To hear such vile words come out of his mouth just upset me so much.

At my sob, I could feel Misto's shoulders tense, and begin to shake ever so slightly. "Tugger, move. "He warned his brother again, and again, his brother completely ignored him. Why did he want Tugger to move? Why couldn't he just tell him to get lost? I heard Misto warn him again, this time with more urgency. "Tugger, move. _Now."_ Tugger finally turned his attention to Misto, and started to complain. "Aww, c' mon Misto! I-"He never finished his sentence, because Misto cut him short by yelling, "_**Tugger! Get out of the way!**_" His brother immediately understood what was about to happen, and jumped aside, but unfortunately, I didn't.

In the blink of an eye, Misto released a massive, bright bolt of energy, which flew right over the spot where Tugger was just standing, and collided with a pile of garbage, producing a loud explosion. I didn't have time to duck my head, because as soon as Misto released the energy, his arms recoiled and one of them hit my injured arm with such force, it caused me to scream in pain. Instincts kicked in, and as fast as my injured leg would allow, I fled to hide behind a pile of old crates, while still watching the scene in front of me.

Once the dust and smoke cleared, I couldn't believe my eyes. The garbage pile that was behind Tugger was now a smoking pile of ashes! It wasn't over yet, though. Misto snapped his head in Tugger's direction, who was now huddled up next to a pile of old furniture. Misto walked over to him and grabbed him by the neck. I saw Misto's mouth moving, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. By the look on Tugger's face, I could tell Misto was threatening him. He let go of Tugger's neck, and Tugger bolted like a frightened mouse. I was scared he might come for me next, but it wasn't so. I saw him take a few steps, and then kneel over, unconscious.

I let out a small gasp, and despite my fear, I crawled out from behind my hiding place and hobbled over to him. I knelt down beside him, and turned him so he was on his back. I put my ear to his chest, making sure he was still alive. I heard the rhythmic beating of his heart, and sighed in relief. I also could feel his chest rise and fall, which was an indication he was still breathing. I stayed that way for a few seconds, savoring the moment. Reluctantly, I lifted my head from his chest and shook his shoulders, trying to wake him up.

"Misto! Misto! Wake up!" I practically yelled at him, but he didn't respond. I tried again, shaking his shoulders harder this time. "Misto! Wake up! Please!" When he still didn't respond, I grew frantic. "Jenny! Someone! Help!" I called out in desperation. I started to sob again. "_Why isn't he waking up? What's wrong with him?"_ I thought as I saw Jenny running up to us. I heard Jenny gasp as she surveyed the scene around her. "What in Heaviside happened?" She asked me. "Misto...He was trying to protect me from Tugger...and...and..." I broke down into sobs before I could finish my sentence. Jenny kneeled down and started to rub my back soothingly, as she understood what had happened. She scooped Misto up and motioned for me to follow her. We walked back to her den, where she set Misto down in the room I was in not too long ago.

"Now, all he needs is a little rest, and he'll be as good as new!" Jenny explained to me as she pulled a blanket over Misto. "What happened to him, Jenny?" I asked worriedly. "When Misto gets really emotional, he releases a lot of magic. This, in turn, makes him really tired, and he usually blacks out right after." Jenny explained to me. Now it all made sense. "It's happened more than once, and Tugger's usually the cause of it. He just pushes Misto too far sometimes, and this is usually what happens. He should be awake by tomorrow morning." Jenny added. "Oh...Well what am I going to do now?" I asked myself, as it was only noon, and I had a lot of time to kill, now that Misto was out cold. I was too scared to go outside, for fear of Tugger harassing me again. Jenny understood I didn't want to go outside, so she decided to strike up a conversation.

"Victoria, do you know why Misto did this?" Jenny asked. I shook my head; I had no idea why he would do something like this. "He did this because he cares about you. He wanted to protect you." I looked up at Jenny, and she smiled. "_He cares about me? No one ever cares about me..." _I thought to myself. "Why would he care so much about me?" I asked Jenny with a quizzical look in my eyes. Jenny thought for a moment before replying, "I think it's because he's too kind not to. I know he would do anything for anyone, if it meant they would be safe in the end." Jenny fell silent, letting the words sink in.

After a few minutes of silence, she asked, "I've been wondering, why are you so scared of other cats?" My head shot up, and I looked at her with fear in my eyes. I knew it was an innocent question, asked out of curiosity, but that didn't stop the terrible memories from filling my head once again. I knew I had to tell her at one time or another and this was the perfect opportunity to do it, with no one else around. Well, except for Misto, but he probably couldn't hear us, anyway.

I took a deep breath, and started my tale. "Ever since I was a kitten, I've been abused and treated horribly by my family, both cats and humans. I lived with three other cats, two toms and a queen, and a pair of humans with two children, a boy and a girl. The other cats I lived with were all older than I was, and always told me I was a worthless waste of fur. They always taunted me, stole from me, and sometimes hurt me. The adult humans were worse. They kicked me and were always angry at me. Their children would scream at me and pull my tail because they thought it was funny. I hated them. After years of this kind of treatment, I believed that I really was worthless, and no one loved, or even remotely cared about me. I was always afraid that one day they might kill me. One night, the night Misto found me, that almost happened." I paused as tears began to fill my eyes. Jenny pulled me into hug.

After I had calmed down a bit, I continued. "That night, one of my humans' children didn't come home. They said she died in a car accident. They were really sad, and angry. I didn't know what that was at the time, so I asked one of the older cats. They explained to me that a car accident was when two cars crash into each other, killing the humans inside the cars. As much as I hated the way my humans treated me, I felt sorry for them. I wanted to comfort them.

As soon as one of the adult humans saw me, he started screaming at me and kicking me. The other cats heard the commotion, and joined in the conflict as well. They hissed and clawed at me, while the humans shouted and kicked me. One of the cats managed to claw the gashes you see on my arm and leg. They finally drove me out of the house, and I ran away. Then I ended up in that alley, where Misto found me." I concluded my tale, smiling at the still unconscious Misto laying beside me.

Jenny was speechless. She pulled me into a hug again, stroking my headfur. We sat like that for what seemed like hours. She finally pulled away and said with tears in her eyes,"You don't have to worry about them anymore. You'll always be safe with us. Always." I smiled and noticed it had gotten dark. I yawned, tired from the drama of the day's events. "You can stay with me for the night, if you want. I can set up an extra bed in my portion of the den." Jenny offered, noticing how tired I was. I had a better idea.

I lay down and curled up next to Misto, nuzzling my head into his chest. The least I could do was offer him some company after he saved me, twice. I finally felt at ease, content; even, as I fell asleep to the rhythmic beating of Misto's heart, and his deep, even breathing. The last thing I heard was Jenny giving a soft"aww...So cute!"and quietly stepping out of the room to go to sleep in her own bed.

**Author's Note: I adored writing this chapter. Mostly because of the little fluffy part at the end! If you have any more fluffy ideas, don't hesitate to leave a comment, or PM, as I need more fluffy ideas for my next chappies! Review, please!**


	5. Intros and Apologies

Learning to Trust Chap.5: Intros and Apologies

Disclaimer: I'm getting tired of saying this, I don't own Cats!

**Author's Note: Chapter 5 is finally here! We are now nearing the end of our story, only a few more chappies to go. In this chapter, we get to see a little of Tugger's soft side! I hope I do well! Sorry if the relationship between Misto and Vicky seems rushed, I just didn't want to make the story seem too long. Plus, I'm not that great at fluff, but I try! Enjoy!**

**Victoria's POV**

I felt someone shaking my shoulder. "Victoria...Victoria...Wake up..."I recognized the voice as being Misto's, but I didn't want to wake up just yet. I was too comfortable. I swatted his hand off my shoulder and pulled the blanket over my head. "Sorry, gotta wake up, princess!" I heard Misto purr mischievously. Suddenly I felt a rush of cold air as the blanket that was covering me was torn off. I sat up straight, shivering, only to come face-to-face with a smirking Misto. "Good morning, sleepy-head! Did you sleep well?" I narrowed my eyes at him in mock anger, but I nodded. Misto smiled and reached a hand out to me, offering to help me up. I took it and he pulled me up.

I noticed a mouth-watering smell wafting into the room, and I looked toward the entrance to Jenny's portion of the den, where the delicious smell of mousecakes was coming from. Misto noticed the longing look in my eyes and reassured me, "Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes. Why don't I introduce you to some more of my friends while we wait?" I looked worriedly back at him, remembering what happened the last time we did that. "If Tugger comes, I'll protect you. I promise." He looked at me with sincerity in his eyes. I nodded, and let him lead me out of the den. "Call us when breakfast is ready, alright, Jenny?" Misto told Jenny as we stepped out of the den. "Alright! Have fun, you two!" Jenny replied with a laugh as she returned to her cooking.

Misto and I stepped out into the sunlight, and already I saw a few cats walking about. I saw a silver and black tom walk passed us, and take notice of me. He walked up to us with a smile on his face. "You must be Victoria. Jenny told me all about you. My name is Munkustrap." He reached a hand out towards me, which I shook. "It's nice to meet you, sir." I replied with a shaky voice. I still wasn't used to the courtesy these cats showed each other. "There's no need to be afraid, Victoria, if any trouble arises, I'll be sure to take care of it." Munkustrap reassured me. "He's the Jellicle Protector" Misto whispered in my ear. I nodded, but then a look of confusion crossed my face. "Umm...What about yesterday, Munkustrap, sir?" I asked timidly, because I didn't see him when the Tugger" incident" happened yesterday.

"Oh, yes, that." Munkustrap looked serious for a moment. "The reason I didn't intervene was because I wanted to see how you handle your emotions, Misto. Clearly, you need to work on it. You gave the whole Junkyard quite a scare. "He told Misto sternly, who was now looking at the ground, embarrassed. "Yes, Munk. I'll keep practicing. I'm sorry for scaring everyone." Munk looked pleased at his apology, and gave us both a nod of approval, before heading back out on his patrol.

I tugged gently on Misto's arm, telling him I wanted to keep walking. He snapped out if his reverie, and led me towards a giant tire of some kind, where three adult cats were sunning themselves. He pointed them out to me in turn. "That's Alonzo." He said pointing to a black and white tom. At the mention of his name, said tom looked up, gave me a little wave, and went back to sleep. "That's Cassandra, Alonzo's mate." Misto said, pointing to a sleek brown and white queen. Cassandra gave me a smile, which I returned. "And that's Demeter, Munk's mate." Misto finished, pointing to a gold and black queen. Demeter simply nodded at me, and went back to sleep.

I thought they were all nice cats, and I looked forward to getting to know them. Out of nowhere, I heard a crash behind me, and whirled around to see what it was. Alonzo, Cassandra, and Demeter paid no attention to it; they already knew who it was. I heard Misto start laughing as two black, red, and white calicos crawled out from the toppled pile of trash, each carrying a sack full of something. They noticed me and smiled. "Oi,there! What's yo name?" The tom of the two asked. "Victoria...Are you two alright?" I answered, concerned. The calico queen piped up, "O' course we 'ah! We do 'dis all 'da toime! Boi 'tha way, Oi'm Rumpleteazah, an' 'dis is moi brothah, Mungojerrie!" She said, motioning to herself and her brother. Before I could answer them, they scampered off, probably to hide those sacks. I had to giggle at their nonchalance; they seemed so professional at doing the silliest things.

My ears pricked forward as I heard Jenny calling us to breakfast. Misto and I hurried back to Jenny's den, eager to satisfy our growing hunger. After we were done, we went back outside; I was excited to meet more cats. As we were strolling, we came across a group of kittens. They were playing tag with each other, laughing and running around. They stopped when they saw me, and ran up to me, squealing with happiness. I giggled at their excitement of seeing a new cat. Misto backed off a bit, giving me and the kittens some space. "Hello! I'm Jemima!" A black, red, and white queen said. "I'm Electra! Nice to meet you!" Exclaimed a brown and black queen. "Hi! I'm Etcetera! But you can call me Etcy." Said a white and yellow queen. "Nice to meet you all! I'm Victoria!" I said politely. Etcy and Electra glanced at Misto, and Electra hurriedly explained, "Uhh... Sorry Jem, we've gotta go. I just remembered we had to..." She trailed off, but Etcy finished her sentence for her, "Go meet Tugger!" Electra nodded in agreement, and they both dashed off. "Oh...Ok, I guess I can go practice my singing." Jemima said, now left with nothing else to do. "I hope you'll stay with us, Victoria! You'd love it here!" Jem said before running off. "I already do..." I whispered to myself as I watched her round the corner of a trash heap.

Suddenly, I heard Misto shout, "Hey! Get off of me!" I turned around, and burst out laughing at the scene in front of me. Etcy and Electra had tackled Misto to the ground, and were now sitting on him, grinning wildly. "It's not funny!"He looked up at me with mock anger, but I still saw amusement dancing in his eyes. "We got you, Misto! We finally tackled the magical Mr. Mistofelees !" Etcy shouted triumphantly. She and Electra high-fived each other, and got off Misto, helping him up. "Are you proud of us? Huh? Huh?" Electra asked, looking up at Misto. "Yes, girls, I'm glad you finally mastered the art of stalking!" Misto said, laughing as the girls high-fived each other again, and ran off to go play something else.

I spent the rest of the day learning each of the other cats' names, and letting Misto guide me around the Junkyard. It was quite possibly the best day of my life. We reached Jenny's den at around dinnertime, and I had an unwelcome surprise waiting for me by the entrance. Rum Tum Tugger was leaning on the wall, waiting for us. He stood up and walked over to us as soon as he saw us. "What do you want, Tugger?" Misto asked his brother coldly. He moved in front of me, creating a barrier between me and Tugger. "It's alright Misto, I didn't come here to flirt, I came here to apologize. To Victoria." Tugger said with sincerity in his voice. I moved out from behind Misto, giving him a nod of approval. He backed off, letting me approach Tugger. "Look, Victoria, I'm really sorry about yesterday... I didn't mean to scare you like that. I just have a certain...reputation, and I couldn't help myself. Will you forgive me?" Tugger asked, staring down at the ground. I felt my heart warm at his sincerity. "I forgive you Tugger, just know your limits, ok?" He looked up at me, smiled, and nodded his head. I stepped inside Jenny's den, and Misto followed. "Wait, Misto, I want to apologize to you, too." Tugger called to his brother. Misto stepped out of the den again, saying, "I'll be back in a minute." I walked inside, giving him and his brother some privacy.

**Misto's POV**

I walked back outside, wondering if my brother really wanted to apologize. He never did things like this unless he was planning on playing a joke. This time, though, I could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't joking. He sighed, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. I waited, looking expectantly at him. He finally looked up at me saying, "I'm sorry, bro. I didn't know I was pushing you too far. I know what releasing this much magic does to you, and I don't want you to go through that again because of me. I didn't know you liked her that much! Ya should of just said she was yours and I woulda backed off!" He added with a wink. I raised an eyebrow, saying with confusion in my voice, "...What? What are you talking about, Tugger?" I knew perfectly well what he was talking about, unfortunately, but I decided to play dumb.

"Dude, I could see it in your face. You've got a little crush on the new queen! You can't lie to me when it comes to queens." He said with a sneer. I gave in, he was right."Alright, fine! I like her! Happy? Get to the point!" I said, throwing my hands up in surrender. Tugger smirked, but then grew serious. "The point is, I hate scaring queens, even if it's just a little. I love seducing them, but scaring them just... Hurts. I also hate to see other cats in pain because of me. That's why I wanted to apologize to you, too. Forgive me?" Tugger may have a reputation for trying to seduce every queen he sees, but he has his moments. "I forgive you, Tugger. What are brothers for?" I smiled at him, glad I had made up with my brother. "Aww, thanks, little bro! That really means a lot coming from you!" He gave me a pat on the shoulder before walking off, whistling.

I smiled to myself; everything was alright. I wasn't holding a grudge against my brother anymore, and Victoria was well on her way to learning to trust other cats again. I slipped inside the den, with a smile on my face. "What?" I asked as I received curious glances from Jenny and Victoria. "Oh, nothing, we just wanted to know why you're grinning like a madcat. What did Tugger say?" Jenny asked. "He apologized for causing me so much pain. He may look tough, but he's a real softie on the inside. He's never been so sincere in a long time." I answered. We ate our dinner in silence, just enjoying each others' company. It was soon time for me to go back to my own den, much to my dismay. I said goodnight to Victoria and Jenny, and walked to my den, the memories of the last few days replaying in my head the whole way there. I smiled as I fell asleep, happy with myself and the world around me.

**Author's Note: Did you like Tugger's soft side? I think I did pretty well. Sorry I skipped most of the introductions; I didn't want to bore you guys. Review! **


	6. Settling In

Learning to Trust Chapter 6: Settling In

Disclaimer: Uhh...See chappies 1 through 5. Chapter 2 has the best disclaimer, I think. I don't own Cats.

**Author's Note: I just want to thank my readers and reviewers again; you guys leave the best reviews! This chappie has a little more fluff, just a heads up. I told you in chappie 5 (or was it 4? Meh, I don't remember...) that I'm not the best at fluff, so go easy on me! Enjoy!**

**Victoria's POV**

"_I'm warm. I'm safe. I am finally happy."_ I thought as I opened my eyes, looking at the familiar ceiling of Jenny's den. I realized yesterday, none of the cats in the Junkyard meant me harm, and they were willing to welcome me as one of their own. Everything is looking up for me now. "_I don't need to be afraid anymore..."_ I was startled out of my thoughts as Jenny poked her head into the room, saying, "Good morning, Victoria! Do you want breakfast?" I nodded eagerly, I was hungry. I stretched and stood up, making my way to the kitchen.

I stopped at the entrance, noticing someone unfamiliar in the kitchen. "Uhh... Jenny? Do you mind telling me who this is?" I asked skeptically, pointing at the orange tabby tom, who seemed to appear out of nowhere overnight. "Oh, yes! Where are my manners? Victoria, this is my mate, Skimbleshanks. He works at the railway station, so he's always home late." Jenny gestured to the tom, who bowed to me and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Victoria. You may call me Skimble." He had a Scottish accent, which I found interesting. I giggled at his old-fashioned courtesy, but I returned his kind gesture with a curtsy. "It's nice to meet you, too, Skimble! What's it like working at a railway station?" I asked, now curious. Skimble smiled, happy that I took an interest in his work. "It's very rewarding. I get to help everyone with their luggage, and I'm always busy, making sure everyone's alright on the train, and that no rats or mice get in the way." He explained. "Who wants breakfast?" I heard Jenny ask as she put three steaming bowls of bird stew on the table. We ate our breakfast, listening to Skimble tell stories of his fabulous job as "The Railway Cat".

After breakfast, I went to go find Misto. I walked along one of the many paths that criss-crossed the Junkyard, looking for him. I admired the rugged beauty of the trash piles, with the sun glinting off various pieces of discarded metal, and illuminating many homey-looking dens. I sighed, wishing I had my own den. After walking around aimlessly for about a half-hour, I decided to ask some queens who sitting on an old car with a license plate that read, "TSE-1", if they knew where he was. I tried to remember their names. _"Bombalurina, Demeter, and Tantomile, I think." _I approached them, saying, "Excuse me, but would any of you know where Mistofelees is?" They stopped chatting, and looked at me. "Sorry, haven't seen him." Said Bomba, resuming her chat with Demeter. Tantomile gave Bomba a glare, but Bomba just shrugged it off, not thinking anything of her rudeness. "Hold on, I'll ask my brother if he's seen him." Tanto explained, looking back to me. She remained still, almost statue-like, as she stared past me. "_What is she-? Oh, right, she's psychic..." _I reminded myself, wondering why she was staring like that. Tanto soon snapped out of her trance, and said to me, "You're in luck. Cori said he saw him in one of the clearings, practicing magic." As if to confirm her statement, I heard a distant boom resounding across the Junkyard. "That would be Misto." Tanto said, pointing in the direction of the sound. I thanked her and headed in said direction.

Sure enough, I found Misto practicing magic in a small clearing. He had small targets set up, and was in the middle of hitting them with bolts of magic in rapid succession. I was coming from behind him, so he didn't see me. I decided I wanted to have a little fun with him, so I snuck up behind him, and tapped his shoulder. Not the best idea I ever had. He gave a startled scream, whirled around, and sent a bolt flying right at me! I shrieked and ducked, watching as the bolt flew right over my head, and into a pile of trash, leaving a blackened dent in it.

"Oh, Bast, I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you? Are you alright?" Misto asked frantically, checking me over for injuries. "I'm fine, Misto! Remind me to never sneak up on you again!" I said with a forced laugh. Truth is, I'm a little bit shaken, but I'm ok. Misto didn't believe me, though. He put both hands on my shoulders, and looked me straight in the eye, saying, "Are you alright?" He had honest concern in his eyes. I stared straight back, and nodded, feeling my heart melt under his gaze. He smiled, broke contact, and stood up, offering me a hand. I took it, though I was still in a daze from the moment we just had. I shook my head, and let go of his hand, focusing on the targets he had destroyed with his magic. I looked at them in amazement; they were now small, smoldering piles of ashes.

"Wow...You...Did that?" I breathed. "Uh, yes. This is how I practice. Munk said I need to control my magic, so... Here I am, practicing." Misto said like it was the most normal thing in the world. It probably was, for him. I however, was still dumbstruck at how he could control so much power with such accuracy. "Vicky...Vicky...Earth to Vicky..." Misto said, waving a hand in front of my face. "What...? Oh, sorry." I asked, coming out of my trance. "Wait, what did you just call me?" I asked him again, raising an eyebrow. "Umm...Vicky? Why? You don't like it?" Misto asked, with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "No, no, I like it! It's just that no one has ever called me that before." I answered; pleased at the special attention he was giving me. "Good. Vicky it is, then." Misto smiled.

I returned the smile, the heart-melting sensation I had felt before returning to me. _"Great, now he has a weird effect on me. What is wrong with me today? Snap out of it, Victoria!" _I mentally kicked myself, coming back to reality. I suddenly saw a gleam come into Misto's eye, as if he just had an idea. "What is it, Misto?" I asked, curious. "You don't have a den, right? I was thinking, maybe I could help find you one, you know, just so you won't have to stay at Jenny's anymore. What do you think?" He asked. "I think it's a great idea!" I agreed; I loved the idea of getting my own place! "What are we waiting for? Let's go!" I shouted, eager to get going. Misto laughed, and followed me out of the clearing.

We wandered around the Junkyard, looking for suitable places to make a den. While we were wandering, Misto lectured me on how to choose the right den. "Ok, so a den can't be too small, or too big, just the right size. It also has to be waterproof, to keep the rain out. A den must be sound, because you don't want-Vicky, are you even listening to me?" Misto asked as he noticed I wasn't paying attention. I was too preoccupied with looking at an old, beat-up washer/dryer set. "Huh? Oh, ya, a den has to be waterproof, or something...What do you think of this one?" I asked, inspecting the potential den. Misto looked over my shoulder, scrutinizing the would-be den. "Nah, it's too small. Let's keep looking." Misto turned me away from it, and kept on walking.

We went through countless other dens in much the same fashion. None of them were suitable. It took us the whole day to find the perfect den. Finally, the sun was setting as I noticed an old desk, with a couple sheets of thick, rusted metal resting against the back. "_This _is the perfect den. _My _den." I said as I walked up to it, taking a closer look. It wasn't too small, and it was waterproof, with the sheets of metal at the back. "You have a good eye. Go on, see how you like it." Misto encouraged me. I crawled in happily, turning around in a few circles before lying down, looking out at him. "It's a keeper. Just needs a few blankets and it'll be home, sweet home!" I smiled. He chuckled, happy at how much I liked it. "That can be arranged!" Misto smirked, a glint coming into his eyes. He snapped his fingers, and just like that, three neatly folded blankets appeared in his arms. I started at him, awe-struck. "Sending bolts of magic isn't the only thing I can do!" Misto said proudly, winking at me. "Show-off..." I said as I took the blankets from him, spreading them out neatly on the floor of my den.

When I was done, I stood back and admired my den. It looked so cozy; I just wanted to crawl in and go to sleep. It was getting dark, and I was tired. I yawned, making Misto notice my sleepiness. "Sleepy? I'd better be going then. See you in the morning..." He looked like he wanted to say something else, but decided not to. "M'kay...G'night, Misto..." I yawned again. I didn't know den-hunting could be so tiring! I turned around, wanting to go into my den, but I felt a hand on my shoulder, stopping me.

I turned around, facing Misto, who leaned in and kissed my cheek. My breath caught in my throat as he pulled away, leaving me stunned. I saw him blush fiercely as he suddenly realized what he just did. "I-I'm sorry, I just-I g-gotta go..." He stammered, looking more embarrassed than when Munkustrap had scolded him. He took a few steps backward, then disappeared in a puff of smoke. I just stood there, trying to comprehend what just happened. _"Did he just...Yes, I believe he did just kiss me..."_ The realization hit me, making me grin like a fool. I sighed happily, and crawled into my new den. I curled up and fell asleep, with a smile on my face.

**Author's Note: Yay! More fluff! The next chappie will be more awkward, considering Misto has to explain himself now! Stay tuned for the next chappie, and tell me how I did on this one! :)**


	7. What Have You Done?

Learning to Trust Chap.7: What Have You Done?

Disclaimer: I think you guys get it now...but just for those of you who don't, I don't own Cats!

**Author's Note: Remember last chappie when I said this would be an awkward chapter? If you don't, go back and check! Poor Misto, I bet he's so confused...Enjoy!**

**Misto's POV**

I felt the sunlight warm my face as I woke up in my cozy den. I opened my eyes to find a shaft of light had made its way through a sizable crack in the roof of my den. _"Gotta fix that...Don't want the rain getting in..."_ I thought as I sat up and stretched. I poked my head out of my den and surveyed the area. Everything was completely normal, from the birds chirping to the sun shining in a cloudless sky. It was the perfect day...only, it wasn't. Not for me, anyway. I sighed, remembering the events from last night.

_**Flashback**_

_In the twilight, I could see her smile. Victoria was so happy to finally have a place to call her own._

_She yawned, and I could tell she was tired. "Sleepy? I'd better be going then. See you in the morning..." A moment of indecision crossed my mind. Should I...?_

"_M'kay...G'night, Misto..." Vicky yawned again. As she was turning around to go into her den, I made up my mind. _

_I put a paw on her shoulder, making her turn to face me again. I leaned in and kissed her cheek._

_I felt her stiffen as I pulled away, and I searched her eyes, gauging her reaction. She just stared blankly at me, making me regret what I had just done. _

"_I-I'm sorry, I just-I g-gotta go..." I tried to explain myself, but I couldn't. I felt horrible as I watched her stand there, shocked. I took a few steps back, and disappeared, leaving her, and hopefully my current problem, alone in the dark._

_I reappeared in my den, and tried to go to sleep. Naturally, my racing thoughts wouldn't let me. I spent most of the night lying awake, regret keeping me from getting any sleep. _

_Eventually, though, my mind did succumb to a fitful sleep, along with the rest of my body._

_**End Flashback** _

I shook my head, trying to get the memory out. "I blew it. Mistofelees, you coward, she must hate you now..." I said to myself, pounding the ground angrily with my paw. "Who hates you now?" I looked up to see Munkustrap strolling towards me. He must have overheard me.

I stood up. "Victoria." I answered, too angry with myself to explain any further. Munkustrap raised an eyebrow, confused. "Really? That can't be possible. I just saw her, she was as happy as I've ever seen her. Oh, she asked me where you were, she's looking for you."

Now it was my turn to be confused. "I kissed her, probably put her in a state of shock, and now she's _happy?"_ I stared at Munk, dumbfounded. Munk caught on, now understanding my problem. "Oh, I get it; you think she's angry with you? No, no, my dear friend, she's exactly the opposite! If you still don't believe me, ask her yourself." Munk stepped aside, revealing a beaming Victoria standing behind him.

"Misto!" Victoria shouted, running up to me. She hugged me with a force that made us both fall over. "Whoops! Sorry!" Vicky said, laughing. "Are you okay?" She asked, getting off of me. "Uhh...Good morning? Yes, I'm fine." I said sitting up, coughing a little. She winded me, just a bit. "Good." Vicky hugged me again, nuzzling my chest. "How could you ever think I was angry with you?" She asked, her voice muffled by my fur.

"It's just that...The kiss...It was just so sudden, I thought I had ruined our friendship by being too impulsive." I explained, embarrassed now. I saw Munk slip away out of the corner of my eye, giving me a wink.

Victoria thought for a moment, before looking up at me and saying, "No, Misto, you've got it all wrong. You've just made our friendship better. Last night, you helped me complete the last step of my recovery. Now I know that without a doubt, there will always be someone there who cares about me, no matter what happens. Thank you, Misto..."

Vicky tilted her head up, and kissed me. In that moment, all my worries vanished, being replaced by that sweet, innocent, honest kiss. It sent shivers of pleasure throughout my body.

Vicky pulled away, looking at me with tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?" I asked, concerned as to why she was crying. "Nothing...I'm just...happy..." She nuzzled her head against my neck, letting the tears flow freely. I wrapped my arms around her, stroking her back, allowing her to let it all out. We sat like that for what seemed like ages. I noticed a few cats looking at us from various hiding places in the junk piles; Jenny and Skimble were watching us, with happy smiles on their faces. Tugger had a proud smirk on his face, and Jemima, Etcy, and Electra were watching us with dreamy expressions.

After a while, Victoria stopped crying, and pulled away from our embrace, smiling.

"All better, Vicky?" I asked, returning the smile. She nodded, standing up. She offered me a hand, which I took and she pulled me up. It was about noon, so I knew we must both be hungry, considering we didn't have any breakfast.

"Hunting?" She asked, as if reading my mind. "Lead the way!" I laughed as she took my hand, pulling me along towards the field behind the Jellicle Junkyard. I knew in my heart that this was a start to a great relationship.

**The End**

**Author's Note: Ok, not as awkward as I intended, but much fluffier than I intended! What a nice ending, don't you think? Vicky learned to trust Misto, and he learned to trust her!Review please!  
**


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